According to the article, Iceland did this to make it a more desirable server location. Seems like that market can serve as an incentive for more "data friendly" laws; Here's hoping other countries follow suit.

But they get stuff for their tax money. Instead of here were we get almost the same tax rate, but no healthcare, shitty roads, no real social services to speak of and a government that passes laws for the highest bidder.

You may not like high taxes, but I would prefer high taxes and services to slightly lower taxes but nothing in exchange.

Maybe sad and ironic because freedom of the press had been one of our hard fought for and cherished American institutions. This was back when journalists investigated and reported on stories, not just plagarized them, or made them up entirely. This was also before News who's job was to inform became Entertainment who's job was to grab ratings from other reality shows.

Similar institutions include the now crumbling protections formerly afforded to whistleblowers.

Congratulations you just beat down a straw man argument. Almost as fun as beating the real argument but way easier. There is a difference between posting all your private information and hiding video of U.S. soldiers committing crimes. Big difference. And the rights and freedoms we, previously, enjoy here are meant to protect us from the government. They are the biggest criminal because they write the laws. Yeah most are good people but that is only because when they commit crimes news reporters, at least the good ones, out them and they get fired/resign. Government can't be immune from the law, when you have that there is nothing keeping those that run the government from protecting their own interests since they wont loose their job if they don't watch out for the people. I would like a little more than a warm fuzzy feeling keeping my government on task. And yes this does inconvenience some people but freedom isn't free.

And nobody should know about abuses of power either. Gosh, if the American public ever found out why so much of the world hates them, what would happen then?!?

Terrorists attacked the USA, and the people have no idea why. You think "Freedom hating bastards! That's why they did it!" Perhaps if the American people understood that the government that (mis)represents them is what is getting otherwise innocent Americans killed, then it could stop.

Please Americans, you need to pull your head out of your asses! For your own good as well as the rest of us. Blind Patriotism chanting "we're number one" does not make it so. If you only knew how far from number one you actually are, you could do something about it. Reclaim that title. America was wonderful, and a land of the free. So much has been lost, and ignorance of so much around you will erode what little is left. I fear it may already be too late. I hope it is not.

Oh, you mean racially homogeneous like the Netherlands that also have a social system quite similar to their fellow Nordic countries and lot's of emigrants?By your chain of though, the most "racially homogeneous" (hot news man, there are not races amongst humans, there are only ethnics) of all countries in Europe, Poland should be a socialist heaven, right? Well, take a look at them.

I love when you Americans try to find excuses for why socialism in a moderate degree works better than the system you have just because of some NON issue.

A little bit of socialism like they have in the Nordic countries accounts for a more equal society, a less violent society and a less corrupt society. And they're not doing too bad in the world market either. It's just better on the whole. Maybe it is less "free" in your sense of the word. Selfish, privileged pricks like you won't get to be as filthy rich as easily off the sweat and blood of oppressed workers, but living in poverty and ill health is not freedom either, from a the perspective of a decent human being. Fuck you.

Calling socialism a Ponzi scheme gets you +1, Informative? Socialism is "we use a bit of your money to provide freely available healthcare to everyone of the same or greater quality than private healthcare, and at a lower cost, providing an overall benefit to society". Socialism is "we use a bit of your money to properly educate children to ensure that they can be productive members of society when they grow up, providing an overall benefit to society". Socialism is "we use a bit of your money to properly regulate companies so they don't do retarded, short-sighted shit that causes fucking global economic meltdowns, providing an overall benefit to society". Socialism is nowhere near "a Ponzi scheme".

Take your head out of your ass. There are plenty of countries far more socialist than the US that are, by multiple metrics, far better places to live than the US. If you think far less government is the solution, you are absolutely insane.

maybe if the military actually prosecuted the criminals in their ranks and repudiated their behavior publicly rather than covering it up, maybe then the remaining, well-intentioned troops would be safer and the populaces of our satraps might have some small reason to believe we're there to help them rather than to subjugate them and take their stuff. and maybe leaks like this provide disincentive for the government to circle the wagons and keep cancerous elements in the ranks.

Idiot. If the US was a paradise of freedom with milk and honey for everyone, you'd have a point. As it is, in the US there are people dying from poverty, people losing their houses because they had the temerity to get ill, murder rates similar to developing nations, high infant mortality, and the highest jail population in the world. But please - keep on thinking socialism doesn't work. It's not as if the average American doesn't pay much taxes - they do! And what do they get for it? Fuck all. They still have to pay for healthcare (if they can), their police forces are full of under-trained idiots, and their armed forces are making more enemies than they can kill. The rest of the western world knows balanced socialism is the way forward, and will keep getting a better and better place to live. USA #1 - in delusion, it seems.

If our conservatives would concern themselves mainly with the conservation of weak isospin, they'd get my vote in an instant. I am all for that. Unfortunately, they concern themselves mostly with the conservation of the wealth of the already wealthy.